Tag Archive: Sade Sanchez

L.A. Witch is Sade Sanchez, Irita Pai and Ellie English. The L.A. based band charcterizes it’s sound as “reverb-soaked punked out rock” which is certainly accurate, but fails to capture what is reasonably the darker side of their sound. It is the ghostly or unreal and other-worldly dimension of the band’s tracks that gives the listener cause to think of witches, although the band does not connect into the beliefs or practices assoiciated with witchcraft. Interestingly, the band’s work has been referred to in context of the surreal and disconnected apprehension associated with works of David Lynch. So, whether you connect with the band’s post-apocalyptic groove (desert punk) or the more raucous garage rock, L.A. Witch is a band you do not want to ignore. The band is on tour in Europe and will be in Paris 16 September at Batofar.

Thanks to the support of manager, Andrew Rossiter of the Hooley Group, we caught up with drummer Ellie English getting a better view into the world of L.A. Witch.

HVUM: Hi Ellie. Thanks for taking time out to speak with us. How did L.A. Witch happen? How did the three of you meet up and decide to become a band?

ELLIE: I met Sade in High school and we had a 2-piece band together. After our departing we met up a few years later when L.A. Witch was looking for a drummer. I’ve been in the band 4 of the 6 years the band has been together.

HVUM: What do you most hope to bring to the music scene and to your followers?

ELLIE: I just want people to enjoy themselves.

HVUM: Your music has been put into the context of a marriage connecting 60’s girls-in-the-garage charm and David Lynch’s surreal

Ellie English

exposés of Southern California underbelly. This sounds like a declaration of raw energy coming to life in someone else’s dream. Is it a meaningful way to think about your work? How so (or not so)?

ELLIE: I see it as something we enjoy and we play what we are inspired by.

HVUM: You have an upcoming album release – self-titled “L.A. Witch”. Who have you been working with and how have the collaborations influenced the album?

ELLIE: I really miss the raw sound that we have live. It’s been very hard feeling to capture.

HVUM: Yeah, for sure. While it does not capture the live delivery, let’s take a look and listen to what might come closest, the official live video version of “Kill My Baby Tonight”.

HVUM: Do you worry about the market – meaning where your music will end up and how it will be heard? Do you grow and evolve detached from commercial concerns?

ELLIE: It will end up where it ends up. One thing I’ve learned about touring is that lots of bands sound very different from recordings than they do live.

HVUM: Considering your live performances, what works especially well for the band? What is your worst nightmare (experience)?